DeWitt officials have been focusing on “green practices” for some time, and now the town is branching off into a new area: developing an urban forestry management plan.

The plan is designed to guide how the town maintains its trees, and where and which trees get planted in the future.

“It addresses the important role trees play in the well-being of the environment, and our community,” said Gordon Heisler, who chairs the DeWitt Advisory Conservation Commission.

The conservation commission, with recommendations from the town’s Tree Committee, is working on the forestry management plan. Volunteers serve on both committees, and the plan should be finished in about six months after a public hearing.

“It will help us manage all our trees and will give us a path we can follow in the future,” he said.

Michalenko said he isn’t aware of any other municipalities in the area undertaking such a plan. “It may be unusual around here, but we think it’s smart to do,” he said. “Trees increase property values and provide so many other benefits, so it’s important to plan for their future.

“It’s nothing residents will notice overnight, but it’s important for the long term,” he said. “People might not see all the benefits for another 20 or 30 years.”

The first step in developing the plan calls for completing a tree inventory and identifying which trees are damaged or ready to fall. The inventory starts Friday and is being performed by Cornell University and State University College of Environmental Science and Forestry students.

A group from Cornell University helped conduct a tree inventory in 2003 in the Dewittshire neighborhood off East Genesee Street, and this summer that area will be re-inventoried along with other neighborhoods. The conservation commission looks to include portions of Jamesville this summer as well.

“We will look at what species there are, how large the trees are, their health, whether there are overhead wires and whether there are opportunities for planting,” Heisler said.

So far, the town’s tree inventory has covered about 30 percent of the town; an additional 20 percent will be completed this summer. To date the inventory has concentrated on street trees, not the forested area is the northern part of the town.

In the past year, the town has planted about 200 trees in area where there were construction projects, and in places like Avery Park in Jamesville.

More than half of the town’s “street trees” are in the town’s right-of-way, and Michalenko said as the plan progresses, residents will get to select the street trees they’d like to see in front of their homes.

Town officials say it is important to correctly match correct species of tree with location. For example, trees that are too tall should not be planted under power lines; really leafy trees should not be placed near sewers that could be plugged up; and ones with large roots should be kept away from sidewalks.

Grassroots Gardeners in Jamesville and National Grid also are offering input on the plan.

Every tree is good some place, Heisler said. Norway spruce is a wise choice for a spacious area. However, the committee favors native species such as sugar maple and hackberry. Smaller trees might include red bud or serviceberry, he said.

“You don’t want just one species either, because a disease or infestation might wipe them out,” Heisler said. “You want an even distribution of smaller and larger trees, and you need to look at how they respond to insects and disease.

Managing trees is an effective way of protecting them, he said. The plan also calls for educating homeowners and town employees on caring for trees.

The town adopted a local tree ordinance earlier this year that established standards for tree planting, preservation and management in the town.

Among other things, the ordinance specifies trees should be planted at least 3 feet from streets and sidewalks, should neither block the site line at street intersections nor be planted where access is needed to underground utilities.

“We know it costs money to plant and care for trees, but they have so many benefits,” Heisler said. “Using this plan we can plant the right trees in the right place, so we get the maximum benefit.